[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 24 (Tuesday, March 8, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
     A.Z. YOUNG'S SPIRIT OF SERVICE ALIVE IN A NEW SCHOLARSHIP FUND

  Mr. BREAUX. Madam President, Andrew Jackson once observed that ``one 
man with courage makes a majority.'' That sentiment certainly applies 
to the late A.Z. Young, a great American and a great Louisianian whose 
life embodied the notion that certain principles are indeed worth 
risking your life or your livelihood.
  A.Z., who died last year, was that kind of man. In 1968, as the 
leader of an historic civil rights march from Bogalusa to Baton Rouge, 
he put shoe leather to his belief that Thomas Jefferson was thinking of 
someone just like him when he wrote that, ``All men are created 
equal.''
  And because of A.Z., and brave people like him, we are now raising a 
generation of young Americans--black and white--who can barely 
comprehend the stories their parents and grandparents tell them about 
the days of Jim Crow and segregation.
  The advances in civil rights that began more than 25 years ago did 
not simply occur spontaneously. We know that great social changes--like 
civil rights--do not just happen. Brave, visionary men and women make 
them happen.
  A.Z. Young made things happen.
  He was honest, brave, and an inspiration to an entire generation of 
Louisianians. He was, quite simply, an indispensable man--someone who 
made a real difference in lives of hundreds of his fellow men, black 
and white.
  I was honored last month to join with A.Z.'s wife, Dorothy, at 
Southern University in Baton Rouge to announce the creation of a 
scholarship fund in his memory. The A.Z. Young Memorial Scholarship has 
been established to identify and assist young people who wish to follow 
the example of his leadership and service to his community, State, and 
Nation.
  Under its terms, students eligible for the $1,000 scholarship must be 
full-time students attending Southern University who are majoring in 
political science, history, journalism, communication, public 
administration, or public policy.
  Last month's announcement marks the beginning of our efforts to endow 
this scholarship in the name of one of Louisiana's greatest citizens.
  As someone who knew A.Z. and worked with him over the years, I am 
proud to be a part of the creation of this scholarship and look forward 
to helping raise the funds necessary to sustain it.
  A.Z. would be quick to tell us, there is much work left to do in this 
life. We have passed the laws that guarantee all of us equal rights. 
But I know A.Z. would remind us that it is now time to ensure that 
every young person gets the chance to take advantage of the many 
opportunities guaranteed by law but often denied in reality.
  After all, the young people of today are the ones who will do 
tomorrow's work. And so, A.Z. would be proud to know that his work did 
not end when he left this life.
  His spirit will live and thrive for generations to come in the hearts 
and minds of the young people who will have a better chance in life 
because of this scholarship in his name.

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